Manor's Haryanto satisfied with progress

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Manor Racing rookie Rio Haryanto is happy with his progress to date as the Indonesian driver continues to learn the ropes of Grand Prix racing.

Haryanto launched his Formula 1 career in Melbourne but retired early on with transmission problems. The Manor driver raced to the finish in Bahrain and China but was one of the first casualties of the first corner chaos in Russia.

Depsite his struggles and the substantial gap which appears to separate him from his talented and more experienced team mate Pas Wehlein, Haryanto claims his improvement is discernible.

"I feel good about the season so far," he said.

"I’ve had a bit of bad luck but generally, the first few races have been positive for me. I feel quite happy with the way I’m learning and developing with each new race, particularly in terms of my pace.

"You learn to put the disappointments to one side and use it as extra determination for the next event."

The very first Indonesian driver to race in F1 is looking forward to this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix and to racing at a familiar venue.

"I’m ready to get stuck into the weekend here. I really like Barceloan; the weather is good and it’s a really cool city with plenty of interesting places for me to train.

"My trainer is Spanish so he knows all the best places and I know the area like the back of my hand now.

"It’s a track I know really well so we should be up to speed quite quickly and able to get a good impression of how our package works here."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.